Frequently, energy input is necessary for the progress, acceleration and/or initiation of chemical reactions and processes. For this purpose, for example, the reaction mixtures are arranged in microwave-permeable reaction containers in a microwave system with a radiation-screened housing and energy is introduced by irradiation with microwaves. Since, in the reactions and processes that occur, frequently high pressures are produced or the reactions proceed only under pressure, the entire arrangement must be pressure-resistant and, for example, must be able to be closed with a cover system. In general, the reaction containers are also equipped with safety equipment and control devices in order to be able to monitor the progress of the chemical reactions and processes.
Such a device is known, for example, from DE 4 018 955 A1. Among others, a microwave furnace for heating sample material with several pressure-resistant sample containers is described there and the sample containers are arranged on a rotatable carrier part with appropriate holders for the sample containers. In this way, several samples can be treated simultaneously, and, as a result of that, a higher sample throughput can be achieved. A disadvantage is that several pressure-resistant sample containers are needed which can be expensive and thus cost-intensive depending on the design. Furthermore, the reaction volume is limited and, as a rule, pressure and temperature is measured only in one container, as a result of which the possibilities of application are limited and identical reactions cannot be produced in each individual container because of the inhomogeneities of the microwave field.
In DE 197 00 499 A1 and in DE 197 48 520 A1, microwave reactor systems are described with a large pressure-resistant holding container in which one or several sampleholders can be arranged in a relatively simple but not necessarily pressure-resistant construction. The disadvantage of this system is the expensive and complicated mounting of the reactor in the microwave oven, the low flexibility, the limited volume and the high expenditure needed for setting up the system.
Therefore, the task of the invention is to create a device which is suitable for different applications for carrying out chemical reactions and processes in high-frequency fields with high reliability and minimum energy losses, as well as with as little expenditure as possible.